Axial piston machines



Nov. 30, 1965 w. IGREGOR AXIAL PI STON MACHINES Filed Sept. 5, 1963 WLU eLrn Grskgor P W Bitterness Jnren/an United States Patent 9 Claims. 61. 103-162) The present invention relates generally to the pump and motor art, and, more particularly, to axial piston machines. Some axial piston machines of the prior art incorporate individual cylinders which are arranged substantially parallel to each other. As is well known, such cylinders are grouped on a cylinder carrier in radial symmetry about its longitudinal axis. The individual cylinders are mounted in a ball and socket manner.

It is the main object of the present invention to provide an improvement in cylinder coupling means for axial piston machines which dampens vibrations and which acts in a direction transverse to the cylinders.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described which yields particularly advantageous results in the force transmission between the cylinders and the cylinder support.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described wherein every force emanating from the cylinder or its support is made to act in a direction transverse to the cylinders and independently of the direction of the force and the force is transferred in an elastic manner.

These objects and other ancillary thereto are accomplished according to preferred embodiments of the invention wherein coupling means for an axial piston machine is provided by a ring-shaped device which carries the cylinders for rotation, is made of material which dampens oscillations, as for instance soft rubber or other materials as used in the known so-called silent blocks, and acts in a direction transverse to the cylinders.

The coupling of the cylinders is constituted by a disk which radially embraces each cylinder, which is made of elastic material as for instance soft rubber or an elastic plastic material with a hardness of about 60-80 shore and which is also provided with a circumferential ring of rigid material as for instance steel or non-ferrous metal or a thermosetting plastic.

Such a coupling disk has the advantage that each cylinder is surrounded by elastic material so that every force which emanates from the cylinder or the cylinder carrier acts on the coupling disk in a direction transverse to its longitudinal axis, independently of the direction of such force, this force being taken up and passed on elastically.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a coupling means according to the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a section on line 2--2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan of another device of a coupling means according to the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of an apparatus in which the present invention is intended to be used.

It should be noted that in one particular embodiment of the present invention, the coupling disk can be arranged as follows: the opening through which the cylinders extend can be lined with non-deformable material, this can be constituted by rings which are fixedly connected with the disk. This will, among other things, prevent the outer surface portions of the cylinders from moving relatively quickly away from the disk. Otherwise, in order to 0btain good transmission of force, the outer surface portions of the cylinders would have to be connected with the disk and this would cause deleterious frictional effects between the cylinder and the disk, due to the influence of cylinder movements which change constantly in magnitude and direction.

Furthermore, according to another feature of the present invention the elastic disk can be arranged under pretension or pre-bias within the circumferential ring, as a result of which there is obtained a Way in which to combat the radial displacement effects which are due to centrifugal forces that are the result of rotation of the cylinders about their axes of symmetry.

According to another feature of the invention, the circumferential ring has inwardly directed non-deformable ribs which are arranged in the disk sectors between consecutive openings through which the cylinders pass. As a result, the elastic material from which the disk is made, is reinforced at those portions threof which are located between the openings through which the cylinders pass. This counteracts the large amount of yielding of the disk in circumferential direction which would otherwise appear by summing all the elasticity effects in this direction.

According to yet another feature of the present invention the elastic disk can be provided with radial slits which are arranged between the circumferential ring and the openings through which the cylinders pass. The purpose of this arrangement is this: the kinematically forced pendular movements of the cylinders remain as unaffected as possible by the other elastic connections of the cylinders to the disk.

With more particular reference to the drawings, FIG- URE 4 illustrates an axial piston machine which includes a body B in which a drive shaft DS and its drive flange DF are rotatably mounted. Pistons P are mounted to the drive flange and extend into cylinders C mounted to a cylinder support CS which rotates within a tiltable housing H. Coupling means 7 is mounted within the cylinder support CS and the cylinders C pass therethrough.

FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings show coupling means 7 as including a disk 1 made of elastic material, which disk is firmly connected with the circumferential ring 2 made of non-deformable material.

The non-deformable rings 3 are set into the disk 1 and are likewise firmly connected therewith. These rings have such an inner diameter that there is a sliding fit between the outer surfaces of the cylinders which pass through the openings. 4

Furthermore, the disk has several radial slits 4 which begin at the edge of the disk. Each slit 4 lies opposite one of the rings 3 and extends to the outer surface thereof.

Within the circumferential ring 2 there are located the non-deformable ribs 5 which, at one end thereof, are connected with the ring 2. The ribs 5, which are distributed evenly about the circumference of the circumferential ring 2, are directed toward the axis of symmetry of the cylinders (the center of the disk 2), each rib lying on the center line of a disk sector whose radial boundary lines bisect two adjacent rings 3. The circumferential ring 2 carries on its outside the four abutments 6 in order to prevent the ring from rotating within the cylinder support within which the ring 2 is arranged.

FIGURE 3 shows a ring-shaped coupling body with about the same thickness as the coupling body shown in FIGURE 2 and which is made out of one piece. The material out of which this coupling body is made is soft rubber or an elastic plastic material preferably with a hardness of about 60-80 shore. The coupling body is enclosed by a ring which is not illustrated and which is made of non-deformable material as for instance steel or a non-ferrous metal or a thermosetting plastic, which is formed for instance by a part of the cylinder bearer of the apparatus shown in FIGURE. 4.

It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an axial piston device, the combination which comprises:

a cylinder support mounted for rotation about an axis;

a plurality of individual cylinders carried by said support and disposed substantially parallel to each other; and

ring-like cylinder coupling means mounted on said support made of oscillation-damping material and arranged to act in a direction transverse to the cylinders, said coupling means including a disk of elastic material radially surrounding each cylinder, and a circumferential ring of non-deformable material surrounding said elastic material.

2. For use in an axial piston device having a cylinder support carrying individual cylinders which are disposed substantially parallel to each other, coupling means for damping oscillations and arranged to act in a direction transverse to the cylinders, said coupling means comprising: a disc of elastic material which damps oscillations and radially encompasses each cylinder, and a circumferential ring of non-deformable material encompassing said elastic material.

3. In an axial piston device having a cylinder support carrying individual cylinders which are disposed substantially parallel to each other, the improvement comprising: ring-shaped coupling means of oscillation-damping material for acting in a direction transverse to such cylinderssaid coupling means including a disk of elastic material for radially encompassing such cylinders, and a circumferential ring of non-deformable material.

4. The improvement as defined in claim 3 wherein there are openings in the coupling means through which the cylinders may extend, said openings being lined with non-deformable material.

5. The improvement as defined in claim 4 wherein the lining material is in the form of rings which are fixedly connected with the disk.

6. The improvement as defined in claim 5 wherein said disk is disposed within said circumferential ring in prestressed condition.

7. The improvement as defined in claim 6 wherein said circumferential ring has radially inwardly directed nondeformable ribs arranged in disk sectors between adjacent openings.

8. The improvement as defined in claim 7 wherein said disk has radial slits disposed between the circumferential ring and the openings.

9. The improvement as defined in claim 3 wherein there are openings in the disk through which the cylinders may extend, said disk having outwardly projecting portions at places between adjacent openings.

No references cited.

LAURENCE V. EFNER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN AXIAL PISTON DEVICE, THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES: A CYLINDER SUPPORT MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS; A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL CYLINDERS CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT AND DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PARLLEL TO EACH OTHER; AND RING-LIKE CYLINDER COUPLING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MADE OF OSCILLATION-DAMPING MATERIAL AND ARRANGED TO ACT IN DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE CYLINDERS, SAID COUPLING MEANS INCLUDING A DISK OF ELASTIC MATERIAL RADIALLY SURROUNGING EACH CYLINDER, AND A CIRCUMFERENTIAL RING OF NON-DEFORMABLE MATERIAL SURROUNDING SAID ELASTIC MATERIAL. 